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Community Send-off

Group supports nearly 70 local young men and women who commit to serving their country

By Carie Canterbury

The Daily Record

Posted:
09/18/2016 02:07:37 PM MDT

Larry McDonald of American Legion Post 13 presents Stacy Brandt with a commemorative coin during a shipper ceremony Sunday for Brandt's son, Gregory Marrs, who left for boot camp with the U. S. Army. (Dawn Lincoln Photography / Courtesy Photo)

Family, friends and community members gather for a shipper ceremony Sunday for Gregory Marrs, who left for boot camp with the U. S. Army. (Dawn Lincoln Photography / Courtesy Photo)

For more than a year and a half, Parents of Military - Fremont County has spearheaded a local effort to recognize young people leaving for all branches of the military and to offer steadfast support to their families.

The group started in February 2015 when a young man was leaving for the Army just a few months after his mom had died.

"We wanted the community to come together to show support so that he knew he wasn't alone on his military journey," said Tonya wolf, group facilitator and mother to an active duty U.S. Army soldier. "After that, we decided all the kids needed that support, so a bunch of us moms involved in different branches of the military started doing sendoffs for all kids that had come to our attention that were leaving."

Wolf said the effort also was continued so that community could be involved.

Since February 2015, the group, along with the Army Recruiting Station, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and other community supporters, has hosted nearly 40 shipper ceremonies for more than 50 young men and women. The group also supports an additional 20 local service personnel who left from Fremont County before the official ceremonies began.

During a shipper ceremony, the recruit and his or her family are recognized, hugs and handshakes are exchanged, and usually, a few tears are shed. Mayor Preston Troutman gives the young people his personal phone number in case they ever need someone to talk to, and firefighters from the Cañon City Area Fire Protection District take part in the event when they are not answering calls for service.

"The kids love it," Wolf said. "Basic training in any of the branches is pretty tough, and there are days when they probably wanted to give up, but knowing they had support from home and from their families gave them the push to keep going."

Wolf and the group, consisting of moms, dads, grandparents, friends, veterans and other community members, also wish to let the young men and women know they are being thought of during the holidays.

This is the second year that Parents of Military - Fremont County will be collecting items and mailing them individually to local service personnel serving stateside and overseas.

"It's important they have that piece from home," Wolf said. "Knowing that they still have that support from the community after they've left for boot camp, no matter where they are at in their military journey, keeps them going, as well."

Last year, the group sent more than 80 boxes to local young people stationed or deployed in Korea, South Africa, Iraq, Japan, and across the United States.

A new store downtown, a Borgata, at 731 Main St. carries a wide variety of Colorado-themed items ranging in price from $2 to $30, and they have agreed to put aside items purchased by customers for the Christmas boxes. Cash donations also are accepted to help pay for postage.

Drop-off points are the Fremont County 4-H office at the County Administration Building, 615 Macon Ave., the U.S. Army Recruiting Station at 107 S. Ninth St., Suite A, and the Daily Record office at 1202 Royal Gorge Blvd.

The community always is welcome to attend sendoffs, but for operations security, they are not publicly announced. Call Wolf at (719) 431-3679 to learn more about the times and places of these events, or for more information about the Christmas boxes.

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